Record jackpot could bring lottery lawsuits

Jeremy Hobson: Tomorrow's Mega Millions lottery now has a jackpot never before seen in the history of lottery -- a half-billion dollars. And if you're in one of the 40-plus states that do Mega Millions, you might think about joining up with your co-workers to buy some tickets and boost your odds a little bit.

But our senior business correspondent Bob Moon reports, you might want to think twice before jumping into the office pool.

Bob Moon: The big drawing comes just a couple of weeks after a judge ordered a New Jersey construction worker to share a $24 million jackpot with five co-workers; he'd insisted he won with a personal ticket bought separately.

The moral, as the state's lottery director Carole Hedinger sees it: Have a clear agreement with your co-workers, not just a handshake.

Carole Hedinger: Preferably those rules should be in writing, so that everybody understands what they are.

Establish a clear line between playing for yourself, and picking up tickets for the office pool.